Bittersweet
by Glee Let Me Down
Summary: Kurt and Blaine's relationship is on the rocks. Kurt and Sam's friendship, however, is peachy keen...let's see what that leads to...
1. Chapter 1

A breeze hit Kurt, causing him to shiver as he tiptoed down the aisle of the amphitheatre.

"Hey!" He was a bit startled to hear a deep, raspy voice calling to him. He looked up to see a custodian several feet away, sweeping popcorn off of the concrete floor. "There's thirty minutes until the next show!"

"I just saw it," Kurt explained tersely. "My boyfriend was performing."

"That's lovely," The custodian rolled his eyes. "…But we close the theatre between every show to…"

But he was interrupted. "Kurt!"

Both heads spun toward the stage, where Blaine was springing from one of the wings. A smile came over Kurt's face, as he ran down the aisle. He shamelessly jumped onto the stage and greeted his boyfriend with a big, sloppy kiss. The custodian coughed disapprovingly and continued on with his work.

"Blaine Warbler, I gotta say," Kurt said cutely, as they continued to hold each other. "Out of all the theme park Elvis impersonators I've seen in my day, you definitely rank in the top ten."

"Aw shucks," Blaine tucked his chin to his shoulder and grinned. "You're just saying that because you like me."

"That's true," Kurt sighed. "But even if I didn't, I'd put you in the top fifty. No question."

"You've seen more than fifty theme park Elvis impersonators in your lifetime?"

"I can only assume so…I lost count after forty-five…"

Blaine chuckled and kissed his boyfriend again.

"So…where are Rachel and Mercedes? How'd they like my pelvic thrusts?"

"Oh, they were all kinds of hot and bothered," Kurt said sarcastically. "But apparently, riding the tilt-a-whirl one last time took priority over complimenting you."

Blaine nodded. "I have to fix my hair before the next show, and…you know, get back into the jumpsuit…"

Kurt's eyelids fluttered awkwardly at the recent memory of his boyfriend in that white monstrosity. "…ah…"

"But you can sit in and watch the show again, if you want…if you were planning on sticking around."

"We'll see," Kurt shrugged. "We were thinking of calling it a day soon, but I don't think Sam has hit his ride quota yet."

Blaine's hold on Kurt weakened ever so slightly. "Oh…Sam's with you guys…?"

"Of course he is, Blaine," Kurt let go of his boyfriend completely. "We weren't going to just leave him at home."

"Right…" Blaine looked away, pouting almost.

"Why…?" Kurt asked dryly. "Do you have a problem with Rachel, Mercedes and I spending time with our best friend."

Blaine shook his head quickly. "Kurt…no…you know why I'm asking…"

"Right," Kurt huffed. "This again: you're juvenile insecurity. We've had to deal with this all summer…don't you think it's time we calmed down?"

Blaine hesitated. "It's just…the guy's clearly got a thing for you!"

Kurt laughed out loud. "Blaine, have I ever accused Wes or David of being in love with you?"

"I'm not close with they are like you are with Sam!" Blaine snapped defensively.

"Sam's not even gay!" Kurt cried. "He's my friend, Blaine, and if you can't respect that, then don't expect any respect from me…"

Kurt turned and marched away. Blaine sighed, suddenly feeling guilty. "Now…hold on!"

But he just kept on walking.

His friends were just getting off the Tilt-a-whirl as he approached it, wiping tears from his face. Rachel and Mercedes, who had been squealing with laughter, suddenly fell silent when they saw him. They ran to him immediately.

"Hey…" Rachel said softly, taking him in her arms. "What's a matter?"

Sam was keeping his distance, but it read on his face that he was clearly pissed off to see Kurt this upset.

"He can be such an idiot!" Kurt whimpered. "He doesn't trust me at all. It's like…what did I do to deserve him treating me like a child?"

Rachel nodded. "I know what it's like when your boyfriend doesn't trust you. Finn and I still have problems with that."

"Yeah, but in your case you actually gave him a reason not to trust you," Mercedes stated matter-of-factly.

Rachel dismissed her comment quickly. "Kurt, when Finn and I first got together I thought we could never work because I'd always have to worry about someone else taking him away from me, and I did some crazy things because of it, but it was only because I loved him _so much_. Blaine loves you…justifiably so. You have to cut him some slack."

Kurt shook his head miserably at his feet. "That's not true."

"It is!" Rachel argued.

"No, he doesn't love me…" Kurt told her. "I mean. We've been together five months. If he loved me he would've said it."

"Maybe he's just scared," Mercedes reasoned. "I mean, you haven't told him yet either, and we _know_ you love him."

"Just give it a few days, Kurt," Rachel smiled encouragingly. "You guys will make up, and then you'll have your opportunity. Okay? Maybe once you guys are open about your feelings then everything will be okay."

Kurt wiped away a final tear. He'd decided that he didn't want to waste the last hours of their day trip weeping like a little girl. He just nodded. Maybe Rachel was right.

* * *

><p>Blaine cocked his head. "This is a challenge," He said, crossing his arms.<p>

Finn glanced around the shop awkwardly. "Why, dude, they're all exactly the same…"

"You see," Blaine lifted an arm and pointed to the cage. "The one on the perch looks the most like Pavarotti. I don't know if that'll make Kurt happy or if it'll just depress him …"

"I don't know man," Finn told him. "Can you just choose one? We've been here a while now and people keep looking at us."

One of the clerks was passing by, and Blaine stopped him. "Excuse me, sir. I'd like to purchase one of your warblers."

When they got back to the Hudson-Hummel house, Blaine snuck up to Kurt's room and put the cage exactly where Pavarotti's had been. He took several steps back, and adjusted it several times to make sure everything was perfect.

Finn followed him in, holding the bouquet of tiger lilies they'd picked up.

"Hey, I know you asked for a vase, but I'm not really sure where one of those would be so I was thinking you could just fill this bowl up with water!" He grinned, holding up a large Tupperware piece.

Blaine felt the corners of his mouth twitch as he tried to hide his amusement. "That's quite all right, Phineas…" He took the flowers from Finn and inspected them one last time.

"Uh…My name's not…"

Blaine interrupted him. "I'll just hand them to him…I'll get down on one knee or something like that."

Now Finn was the one trying to hide his amusement. "That's great, man," He patted the shorter guy on the shoulder. "I'm sure he'll love it."

There was an awkward pause as they stood in Kurt's doorway. Blaine wasn't sure what to do.

"I guess I'll just wait for him." He walked over to Kurt's bed and sat on the foot of it.

Finn nodded. "I'll talk extra loudly when he comes in so you can hear me and prepare yourself."

Blaine took a deep breath, already nervous. "Do you have any idea when he'll be home?"

Finn shrugged. "Anytime, dude. He was just helping…um…a friend do something but he said he'd be back for dinner."

Blaine nodded, telling himself that it was okay. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

><p>"And voila…!" Kurt grinned, thrusting a hand mirror at Sam. They were sitting at the vinyl card-table in the Evans's new apartment in Lima Heights. It wasn't exactly a Beverly Hills mansion, but it was a step up from the motel they'd been living in last spring. Sam's mom had gotten a hostess job at Breadsticks, and Burt had offered his Dad a temporary administrative position at the tire shop while his secretary was on maternity leave. Right now, Sam's mom was out with the kids, buying them long-overdue pairs of new sneakers, leaving the boys comfortably alone.<p>

"Wow…" Sam smirked at his reflection. "…It looks good."

"Of course it looks good," Kurt smiled, pulling the mirror away from him. "I read three years worth of hair coloring tips in _Marie Claire_ to prepare me for this moment. You were in very good hands, Sam."

Sam's hair was a sandy brown now; the color he claimed was his natural. His eyes followed Kurt, who scurried into the kitchen and shoved all their dyeing tools into the trash can into the sink. He noticed some brown specs on the wrists of Kurt's white shirt. "Dude, I'm sorry if I stained anything."

Kurt inspected his sleeves. "Its last season's shirt," He shrugged.

Sam nodded, pursing his lips in thought. He stared at the worn-down vinyl floor of the apartment, and just listened to the sounds of Kurt tidying up. What was great about Kurt was that when he was concentrated on something; like getting a task done, he didn't expect anybody to talk. He and Sam enjoyed a lot of silences together. They'd gotten so comfortable that silences didn't bother them.

Kurt came back to the table, smiling warmly. He sat down across from Sam and rested his elbows on the table. "I have to say, Sam…you look a lot straighter."

Sam chuckled, and grinned into his lap, almost kind of sadly. "Yeah…" He said. "That's what I was going for."

And Kurt could hear it: he could hear the doubt in his voice. He could hear that quiet shame. He'd been hearing it for weeks now, ever since they reached whatever point two people reach where they actually start listening to each other. He wasn't going to say anything; on the off chance that he was wrong. He wasn't going to say anything, because there was always the chance that he'd be accused of over-stepping. He wasn't going to say anything, because he knew that if he were to hear the truth, it would change everything.

Kurt's phone began to quiver in his pocket, and he was yanked out of his thoughts. He quickly pulled it out to answer it.

"Finn…what's up?" He asked, kind of annoyed that his brother was bothering him again. He always called him about the stupidest things; like the location of Q-tips in the medicine cabinet, whether the dishwasher was clean or dirty, or if he could borrow one of his DVDs because Rachel was over and wanted to watch it. It was never anything actually _worth_ bothering him for.

"Dude, you might want to come home…" Finn said. Usually Kurt this kind of demand would spark immediate concern. Kurt would assume, given the proper urgency in Finn's voice that something had happened to his Dad or Carol. But there was no urgency now. It was more of a kind of excited coyness. Finn was always bad at keeping secrets.

"Finn…" Kurt stood up, a nervous smile coming over his face. "…What's going on?"

"Well…um…" Finn's voice got quieter. "You didn't hear this from me okay? Blaine is here and…"

Kurt felt himself go into instant panic mode. "Blaine is _where?_"

He looked at Sam for a reaction. He wasn't sure why. Sam was still staring at the floor, absentmindedly rubbing his thumb against his lower lip.

"On your bed…I mean…I didn't say anything!" Finn snapped giddily.

Kurt hung up the phone, letting out a deep breath. "Um…I have to go…" He said, flustered. He'd felt a little bad because he and Sam had decided just moments earlier that they were going to sit down and watch _The Others_. They decided it would be the perfect compromise because Sam liked suspense and Kurt liked Nicole Kidman. He didn't really want to leave, and felt that it was unfair of Blaine to just show up at his house and expect his presence. It felt almost like he was on house arrest and Blaine was the cop doing random check-ups to make sure he hadn't breached his sentence.

"Is everything okay?" Sam asked solemnly.

"Yeah…" Kurt sighed, collecting his shoulder-bag from the back of a nearby chair. "…My boyfriend's just obnoxious…but what can you do?"

"Hey!" Sam sat up a littler straighter for a minute. "I'm sorry if I've caused any problems with you two. That wasn't my intention at all."

Kurt smiled sadly. "I know, Sam. Don't even…"

"It's just…" Sam hesitated then stood up. "…I really like hanging out with you and stuff."

He was too sweet. Kurt replied softly, as Sam took another step toward him, "I really like hanging out with you too, Sam."

Sam stopped himself from getting any closer. "I would hate for that to be ruined." He said surely, being sure to add plenty of weight to those eight words.

Kurt didn't know why, but he started feeling tears come to his eyes again. He hated himself for being so emotional all the time. "Sam…" He said, swallowing; catching himself before he openly cried for seemingly no reason. "Nothing's gunna ruin that. I promise you."

Sam nodded. "Okay…just…you know…making sure…"

Kurt thought of what Rachel said about him and Blaine at the amusement park the other day. "_Maybe once you guys are open about your feelings then everything will be okay_…" At the time he'd believed her, because he'd wanted so badly to believe that everything was going to be okay.

Even if Blaine was "open". How would that change anything? The way Rachel saw it, Blaine was showing Kurt he "loved" him by being needy and possessive. What made her think that talking about his feeling would be an alternative, and not an addition?

He was dreading seeing Blaine even more knowing of the possibility that _that_ kind of conversation could come up: the kind where he'd be expected to talk about his feelings. The problem wasn't that he was unwilling to talk: it was that he wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure what he felt anymore.

Sometimes he felt like he had a weight on his chest. There were brief moments where he'd forget about his boyfriend and the weight would disappear. Most of those moments were when Blaine was off rehearsing or working and Kurt could be with his friends without fear of a call. When his phone would ring, he'd feel the impact; the weight colliding with his chest and pinning him down.

His favorite moments were the ones with Sam, and he hated the fact. Kurt had tried to push the feeling away from him the second it hit. He couldn't bare the thought of proving Blaine right. He couldn't stand the idea of hurting him like that.

He hated how he couldn't keep himself from giggling like a five year old girl whenever Sam did one of his impressions. He hated how he inadvertently became fixated on Sam's muscles when he'd been sitting for a while and needed to crack his back, and the cotton of his shirt stretched tighter over his pectorals as he did it. Most of all, he hated how he felt when he was telling a story about one of the idiots he came into contact with in public, and Sam would just lean forward, listening intently, a sort of half-smile on his face. There was a look that came to Sam's eyes whenever he was enjoying a story that Kurt just loved.

He looked at Sam. Right now, they were just watching each other, waiting for someone to do something: Sam waiting for Kurt to leave, because it seemed so inevitable, and Kurt waiting for Sam to tell him to stay; to give him a reason not to go to Blaine.

_Once you guys are open about your feelings; _Kurt began to realize that the advice seemed so much more relevant here, in the Evans's apartment. It didn't make any sense. Sam wasn't gay…He'd never said he was gay.

"You should go…" Sam finally spoke.

Kurt nodded speechlessly.

"I'll text you later. Maybe we can watch that movie tomorrow."

Kurt nodded again. "Bye," He managed to squeak.

Sam began to walk him to the door, like a gentleman. "See you tomorrow…"

* * *

><p>Kurt pushed open his bedroom door and didn't even pretend to be surprised to see Blaine.<p>

"Hey…" Blaine stood up, an unnerving glow in his eye.

Kurt blinked expressionlessly at him. He was holding flowers. He was coming towards him. He was…oh god…he was getting down on one knee.

Kurt hurt something: a chirp. He looked up instinctively and saw the bird. It was like Pavarotti had risen from the grave. "What is…?"

"Kurt," Blaine grabbed his limp hand. "The day Pavarotti died; you showed up at Dalton dressed in black, teary eyed, and sang with the most passion I have ever seen in a performance…even a Rachel Berry performance."

Kurt let out an uncomfortable chuckle.

"That was the moment that told me…" Blaine continued. "That I was the luckiest guy in the world to have someone in my life who was so capable of loving every living thing. I knew I wanted you. I knew how good you'd be to me."

Blaine's voice was shaking now. Kurt knew that both of them would probably start crying soon. He couldn't handle this. He couldn't have this conversation; not yet… "Blaine…" He forced out weakly.

Blaine shook his head, demanding to finish his speech. "Kurt, I've been a jerk, and I really, really regret that."

"Blaine…" He said again. He had to stop that.

"You love everyone. You love your pets…and you love your friends. I'm not going to tell you to stop. As hard as it is to see you care about another guy on any level, I'm not going to tell you to stop, because I trust you…" He took a deep breath, and Kurt knew it was coming. He bit his lip. "…and I love you."

Kurt couldn't stop it now. He was full-on bawling. He knew that Blaine meant every word he said, and he was actually really proud of Blaine for finally owning up. The thing that really got to him was that the apology didn't make him feel better at all. If anything, he felt even worse, because now there was no excuse. Now, all he had was the gut feeling that something wasn't right. It had been Blaine's problem before, but now he could only blame himself.

Before Blaine, Kurt had no hope; no courage. He didn't think he'd ever feel an emotion other than anger. He felt like he had no place in the world. Blaine picked him up and guided him in the right direction. He'd never loose appreciation for that. Sam was his best friend, but Blaine was his savior.

He told Blaine the truth. He sobbed, "Blaine, I will always love you…" _but…_He couldn't finish his sentence.

Blaine kissed him forcefully, dropping the bouquet on the floor. Kurt surrendered, because there was still that part of him that knew what a drastic change the inevitable end would be. It was that burst of nostalgia that kept him kissing back with equal force; driving him to hold on for just a little while longer.

Blaine was crying openly now too, and their tears were mixing together. "I love you…" He kept breaking to mutter. "I love you…"

Kurt knew what he had to do, but in that moment, there didn't seem to be any hurry.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost noon, but Kurt was still in bed. He'd been awake for hours now, but he wasn't ready to talk to anyone.

His phone, charging on his night stand, went off. At first wanted to reach over and answer it, but when he weighed the options of who it could be, he rolled over and buried his face in his pillow, deciding against it.

There was a knock on his door. He hugged the pillow closer to his face. "I'm sleeping." He said, although he knew it was muffled.

Finn came in anyway. "Hey man, do you know where the Q-tips are,"

Kurt sat up, scowling. "Finn…have I ever known where the Q-tips are…?"

"Um…" Finn's eyes shifted back and forth, as if he wasn't sure if that was a trick question or not.

Kurt scooted back and leaned up against the head board. "Where's your mom. She'd know…"

"They went to IKEA for a new slip cover."

Kurt's smacked his mattress. "Damn them."

"Hey, I told them you wouldn't like them going without you but they said we should let you sleep…I mean…I don't know, maybe they caught on to the fact that you had quite the exhausting night last night." Finn wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Kurt continued to frown, shaking his head in disapproval. "Finn, cut it out. You're being a creep."

Finn came and sat on the end of the bed. "I'm not asking for the details. Actually…I think…I'd probably have to kill myself if you gave me the details. But what Blaine did was, like, epic. If I pulled something like that with Rachel…"

"Nothing happened, Finn," Kurt snapped. "Nothing…_new_…anyway…"

"Oh…" Finn froze. "Well…that's okay. Rachel's sort of a prude too…"

Kurt hopped off the bed, and tried to ignore Finn as he made his way into the hallway and down the stairs. Finn couldn't take a hint though.

"You know, I like Blaine," Finn said. "He's a good guy. He's really nice to you."

This wasn't helping at all. The guilt was becoming too much for him. Finn followed Kurt into the kitchen.

"Do we have any Advil?" He mumbled, pulling open the drawer that they usually kept pill bottles in.

"What's wrong…are you sore…?" Finn was grinning deviously. In a way, Kurt was thrilled at how far Finn had come: from "closeted homophobia" to openly joking about gay sex in the room where his meals were prepared. At the same time, he really wished Finn would leave him alone.

"I have a headache," Kurt said simply. "Stress...you know?"

"It's summer…" Finn said stupidly. "What could you possibly be stressed about during the summer. I thought you'd be happy with your new bird and all."

Kurt sighed. He found the bottle and opened it, shaking several tablets into his hand. "You know what, you're right…everything's just perfect."

* * *

><p>"You don't look so great." Sam said the second Kurt opened the door.<p>

"Really…" Kurt said sarcastically. "I feel fantastic."

"Kurt…um…" Sam looked him up and down. "You're wearing gym shorts."

"I'd forgotten what it felt like to be comfortable," Kurt shrugged, trying really hard to justify it. Sam kicked his shoes off against the wall of the foyer and let Kurt led him up to his room.

Sam fell onto Kurt's bed, and watched him stand in front of his shelving unit, as he massaged his temple with his eyes closed.

"Kurt, are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Actually no, he wasn't. He felt kind of dizzy. His head was throbbing, and his nose was running ever so slightly. "It's just stress," He told Sam.

"Stress from what…?" Sam asked even more stupidly than Finn had. "…It's summer."

Kurt grabbed his laptop from the shelf and carried it to his bed. Sam handed over his copy of _The Others _and Kurt quietly put it into the disk drive. The boys made themselves comfortable, and Kurt put the computer in between them.

"Can you see all right?" He asked Sam.

Sam looked over at him, pausing for a second and just looking at him. He was trying not to smile, Kurt could see it. It made it hard for him not to smile.

"Yeah….the view's perfect."

By the time the movie was over, Kurt's pills had kicked in, and he was feeling a little better. Just tired… He didn't want to move. Sam just sat back for a moment and watched him in his laziness.

"Hey. I just thought of something funny…" Sam started timidly.

"Do share…"

"You look good even when you're sick. I mean…that's not really funny, but, like. It's kind of unfair…"

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "First things first, Sam…I don't get sick. Okay?" He pointed to his face "This…is not illness. This is _stress_. Second of all…" He started to grin, and then caught himself. "I wasn't aware that you liked the way I looked."

Sam looked away and mumbled, "…It was just an observation."

Kurt felt a surge of pride. "Well, you're quite the handsome gentleman yourself, Samuel. Although, don't get the wrong idea, since it actually _means_ something when I say it."

Sam just shook his head. "It means the same thing…" He cocked his head, that slight smile of his springing up.

"Um…clearly it doesn't," Kurt argued, just to be stubborn, just so the topic was out there. "When a straight guy calls another guy handsome…"

Sam interrupted him, "Kurt…!"

"What?"

"You gotta stop saying things about my…straightness, dude. It's not going to, like, do anything…"

Kurt covered his mouth and coughed. Then he took a deep breath and spoke. His voice was suddenly raspier. "What do you think I'm trying to do?" He asked uneasily.

Sam pressed his lips together, thinking hard. "Never mind…I don't know…"

"Sam," Kurt was getting kind of annoyed.

"There's just a lot you don't know, Kurt." Sam mumbled.

Kurt clutched a handful of sheets to prepare himself for what he'd known was coming all along. "…oh…?"

"Look, I don't want you to freak out…" Sam said. "I'm like, sure...that I like dudes, you know…like…as well as girls."

There it was: the confirmation that Kurt had assumed would change everything. "Oh…" Kurt was managing. He wasn't freaking out.

"I mean, I just thought you should know. I mean…it seemed like something I could tell you."

"No…" Kurt nodded, his eyes widening. "…No…definitely…"

Sam smiled, relieved. "Okay. So…" His eyes shifted. "Um…now you know."

Kurt inhaled sharply, and then exploded into an uncontrollable fit of coughing. He buried his face in his elbow, and his face turned red.

"So…" Sam chuckled, smacking him on the back. "…This is just stress?"

Kurt shook his head. He's eyes were watering as he caught his breath. "Now I'm not so sure."

Sam's face softened. "Look…lay down…" He reached behind Kurt and adjusted his pillows for him. "I'll find you some cough syrup."

* * *

><p>It was around five, and Kurt had just fallen asleep. Sam was sitting next to him on his bed, a pile of soiled Kleenex between them. On the nightstand were a half-eaten bowl of the chicken soup Sam had heated up for him, and a mug of hot tea that Kurt hadn't touched.<p>

Sam watched Kurt sleep. His delicate nose was chafed and flaky from being blown so many times, and his cheeks were flushed from the fever (which had been 101 degrees when Sam last took his temperature). Sam lifted his hand, and brushed away a piece of hair that had been sticking to Kurt's sweaty forehead. Kurt stirred at his touch, but didn't wake. Sam scooted down and lay facing him, carelessly disregarding the fact that he was openly exposing himself to the other boy's germs.

About a minute later, there was a knock on Kurt's door.

"Come in," Sam called weakly.

The door opened, and he sat up to see Blaine coming in. His brow furrowed as he looked from Sam to Kurt and back to Sam. "What's going on?" He asked crossly. It was clear that he was working hard to restrain himself from freaking out.

Sam felt immediately guilty. He knew about Blaine's jealousy issues. "He's not feeling good." He said quietly.

"Oh…" Blaine took a deep breath. "Well…he and I were supposed to go out."

Sam blinked at him. "Yeah…dude…I don't think that's happening anymore."

Blaine starred down at the carpet and scratched at the nape of his neck. "Yeah, well…we'll see how he feels when he wakes up."

"He's pretty sick." Sam reasoned.

Blaine marched over to the nightstand and grabbed the dirty dishes. "I can take these. I mean…I can help."

"Thanks," Sam said flatly as Blaine started toward the door.

"You can clean up those tissues," Blaine told him. "…put them in the trash or something."

Sam was instantly annoyed that Blaine was telling him what to do. He'd been doing just fine before Blaine got here.

Sam collected all of Kurt's Kleenex and put them in the wastebasket underneath his vanity table. Then, he went to meet Blaine down in the kitchen.

Blaine was standing at the island in the middle of the room, holding onto the edge of the counter and leaning into it. He had this intense look on his face. It was scary almost.

"So…um…" Sam crossed his arms, standing in the doorway. "Do you want me to leave?"

Blaine forced a smile. "Kurt wants you here. That's why you're here, right? Did he ask you to come take care of him?"

"No, dude…It's not like that at all!" Sam said defensively. "We were watching a movie and he just started getting worse…and Finn had gone to Rachel's and his parents were out…"

Blaine turned his back to Sam and stood over the sink. "Yeah…okay…that makes sense…"

"Yes." Sam confirmed. "It does. Dude, Kurt's my friend."

Blaine quickly turned around again. "You know, I've tried to just believe and accept that, but something seems weird."

"Well, you're paranoid," Sam tried.

Blaine shook his head quickly. "No, there's something going on here. You know, I love Kurt and I honestly believe he thinks this is all innocent…but when I look at you, that isn't what I see."

Sam starred at Blaine, at a complete loss. "What do you want me to do, dude?"

Blaine head rolled back. "I want you…" He yelled at the ceiling, and then looked Sam in the eye again. "…To back off. You can have your little _friendship_, but don't pretend like you're not after more than that. Kurt's taken, and you're just going to have to deal."

Sam wasn't shocked to have Blaine finally snap on him. Honestly, after Rachel and Mercedes first told him about Kurt and Blaine's recent fights, he'd expected it to happen a lot sooner. He had to admit, he felt bad that he was causing problems, but part of him willingly entertained the idea that Blaine viewed him as a threat. He'd be lying if he said that he hadn't developed a crush on Kurt. There were so many moments where he could've sworn the feelings were mutual, but he'd forced himself back into believing that it was just wishful thinking. If Blaine viewed him as a threat, it meant he wasn't the only one who noticed Kurt acting that way. When Blaine acknowledged it, it made it real. And then it was impossible to feel bad anymore, because it wasn't his fault.

They heard the front door open down the hall. Seconds later, Burt and Carol Hummel were coming into the room, shopping bags in tow.

Carol looked confused. "Hello boys, what's going on?" She said, setting her bags on the counter.

"Kurt's sick," Blaine explained quickly. Sam could tell that it was really important to him that he be the one to explain. "We've been taking care of him."

Burt looked instantly suspicious. Sam thought that he always looked suspicious when it came to boys being around his son. "Well that's nice…" The man said slowly.

Sam realized that he didn't necessarily want to stand around with these people anymore. The level of awkward was just too high. He hesitated for a moment, kind of wanting to be there when Kurt woke up, but he realized that was a sacrifice worth making for his own comfort. "I'm leaving though," He said quickly. "Blaine can take it from here."

The two boys locked eyes.

"Yep…" Blaine said darkly. "…I sure can…"


	3. Chapter 3

Kurt lifted the lid off of the boiling pot and stirred its contents.

Finn entered the kitchen, and stared at his brother on his way to the fridge. "…You're cooking?"

"You know, Finn, in the dreary days before our cohabitation I used to prepare all of my father's meals."

"Well that's nice, I guess…" Finn took a bottle of root beer from the fridge and pushed it shut. "But Mom said we were ordering Pizza..."

The doorbell rang, and Kurt ignored Finn as he went to answer it.

Sam came into the house, and beamed down at Kurt's _Kiss the Cook_ apron.

"Is that an order?" He asked goofily.

Kurt blushed, and grinned cheekily. "Don't mess with me, Evans."

"Mess with you…?" Sam stepped toward Kurt, his eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Kurt blinked, and then quickly spun around. He had a skip in his step as he made his way back into the kitchen. Sam trailed behind him.

"Hey…Sam…" Finn sounded confused. Sam just gave him a little half-wave, and provided no explanation.

"You're going to love this," Kurt said excitedly, running to the stove to check on his pot again. "It's so healthy it could cure cancer…well…not literally…I used to make it for my dad."

Finn looked suspiciously from one boy to the other, and then quickly left the room.

Sam came up behind Kurt and looked over his shoulder. "It smells fantastic,"

"Yeah," Kurt sighed. "We all know how you are about empty calories, and I, for one, have gotten pretty tired of your insistence that brown rice and boiled chicken are the only things that let you stick to your diet. I mean, after all you did for me when I was sick, I thought I owed you."

Kurt started to turn around, not realizing how close Sam was to him. Sam quickly stepped away, giving Kurt room to move.

"You're awesome," Sam told him. "…Do you realize that?"

Kurt grinned at him. "Now, don't get sappy with me. You know if I had in my way, you'd just have some god damn Pizza like a normal human being."

"Maybe I'll have just one piece," Sam shrugged. "…but moderation is key…"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "Right…"

"Do you have a problem with people who are disciplined?" Sam asked playfully.

"I just…" Kurt sighed, looking for the right words. "…I wish you'd see that I'd like you…I mean…we'd all like you anyway, even if you were so large we had to wheel you around on a flatbed like that guy on TLC. You'd still be Sam."

Sam tried to suppress his smile. "That image is horrifying, Kurt," He reasoned. "And eating right is important to me. It's part of who I am, so your argument is invalid."

Kurt sighed. "And I guess deep down I've always accepted that," He said, turning back to the pot. "Hence, the special soup…"

"So basically, it all comes back to you being awesome,"

Kurt smiled distantly. "Okay…" He gave in. "…I guess it does."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Finn paced rapidly around the living room, his phone to his ear.<p>

"Hello…?" Blaine answered.

"He's cooking for him," Finn barked. "Get over here, now."

There was a long silence. "Who's cooking for who…?" Blaine asked just to clarify, although it was clear that he already knew.

"Kurt. Sam. Health food…." Finn hissed into the phone. "Dude, come on. You asked me to, like, alert you if this kind of thing happened again. I have your back. Now it's your job to do something!"

"I can't!" Blaine argued. "Look…I might not trust Sam. But, this is a sore spot with Kurt and me. You know how stubborn he is."

Finn couldn't handle it. "Blaine…are you telling me that you completely trust Kurt…like, one-hundred percent; that there isn't the smallest part of you that's worried?"

There was another long pause. Finn really felt for the guy. He knew what it was like to loose faith in someone you loved.

"Look. I just can't…" Blaine told him. "I told him I understood their friendship…"

"Well, why'd you do that, dude?" Finn scolded.

"I don't know!" Blaine said miserably. "I thought I did for a minute there…It was the only thing I could say..."

"Well if you're not going to come over here to stop this, then what's going to happen?"

Blaine sighed. "Finn, I can consider you an ally, am I wrong?"

"No, not at all," Finn replied confidently. "I'm on your side…"

"Then Finn…I'm going to have to ask you to take matters into your own hands."

* * *

><p>Kurt and Sam sat on the couch, each of them holding a bowl of Kurt's soup in their hands.<p>

"You were so right, dude," Sam said, pointing into the bowl with his spoon. "This is so much better than boiled chicken."

Kurt grinned at the compliment. "One thing you'll learn about me, Sam, is that I am rarely wrong."

They were watching _Beetlejuice_, because after seeing _The Others_; another movie about human/ghost cohabitation, Sam had been inspired.

"Whatever happened to Winona Ryder…?" Kurt contemplated. Neither of the boys noticed that Finn had tiptoed into the room and was standing behind the couch, crossing his arms and staring down at them.

"Well, she got arrested for shoplifting…"

"Duh…"

"But after that I have no idea…"

"Hey guys, whatcha up to?" Finn leapt over the back of the couch and landed in the narrow spot between them, causing both of them to flail towards opposite ends of the couch and splash their soup all over the cushions.

"Finn!" Kurt screamed. "What the hell…?"

"You know," Finn leaned back and swung his feet up onto the coffee table. He put an arm around Sam. "I was just sitting up in my room and thinking about how painfully quiet it is around here. Does that bother you guys? I mean, you're probably not used to hanging out without the girls…"

"No Finn, we're perfectly fine without girls…" Kurt claimed, but Finn wouldn't take it.

"So Sam," He continued. "…Still straight?"

Sam leaned forward and put his bowl on the coffee table. He tried to play it cool. "…what…?"

"Well, I know you were claiming to be straight for a while there, but to be perfectly honest, I never bought it, and neither did Kurt's…what's the word…oh yeah, his _boyfriend._"

"Finn, what are you doing?" Kurt asked boredly.

"You know," Finn turned to Kurt, fuming. "You think you're some sort of Saint because you're not physically cheating, but what you're doing still sucks, Kurt."

"And what exactly am I doing?" Kurt was trying to play it cool, he really was, but inside he was slowly dying. He would expect Finn, of all people; the guy who spent the last two years going back and forth between the same pair of girls; to understand what he was going through.

"Look!" Sam jumped in before Finn could answer. "Finn…I'm going to tell you what I told Kurt and I tried to tell Blaine. I'm just thankful to have Kurt as a friend."

Kurt's heart skipped a beat. He couldn't believe it. "When did you talk to Blaine?"

"The day you were sick," Sam explained. "He showed up while you were sleeping and…he didn't really like the fact that I was the one taking care of you."

Kurt pressed his lips together. A wave of heat came over his face, and he was trembling slightly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so mad. He stood up. "What did he say to you?" He asked darkly.

"Kurt… I don't blame him," Sam tried to calm his friend down. "Maybe he's right, maybe it isn't my place."

"You're my best friend, Sam!" Kurt cried. "Your place is just the same as his place…you know…minus the kissing…"

"Well…maybe it shouldn't be," Finn said.

"Finn: no offense, but this isn't really your business…" Kurt snapped.

"No," Sam stood up now, leaving Finn the only one left on the couch. "He's right. Blaine's your boyfriend…that should count for something."

It killed Sam to say it, and he wasn't sure why he did. To the naked eye, it would seem that Sam was willingly stepping back just because it was the honorable thing to do. That wasn't it, though. He knew deep down that he was testing Kurt. In a way, he had to.

He'd been wondering too: he'd been wondering how Kurt could possibly claim to be committed to only Blaine when they spent just as much time together, if not more. How could Kurt possibly claim to love Blaine more than him when they shared such a powerful energy? Sam didn't want to ask Kurt point-blank to choose because he was afraid of the results. Even if things did end up in his favor, would Kurt resent him for tainting the memories of his first love? As far as Sam knew, he was the only thing Kurt and Blaine fought about? Things might be perfect with them if he wasn't in the picture. Maybe Kurt knew that too…

There was also the chance that Kurt didn't feel the same way; that Sam had completely made it up in his head. That possibility was the most terrifying. If he laid it all on the line for real, then he would be the criminal who made a foolish effort to break up a completely functional couple. He could picture Rachel and Mercedes, and the rest of his friends, looking down on him for that. It was never his intention to be _that_ guy.

But he had to say_ something_. He had to remind Kurt that if he was going to claim to be 100% Blaine's, he had to stop offering Sam so much of himself. Sam couldn't take it anymore. He felt like Kurt was teasing him.

"Sam, what happened?" Kurt asked. The hurt in his voice was blatant, and Sam was almost glad. "…what happened to us not wanting anything to keep us from hanging out?"

"I'm not your boyfriend, Kurt," Sam said. "Blaine is. As long as that's how things are, I don't see how it's appropriate for me to be around _a lot more_ than he is."

Kurt ground his teeth. "Are you really doing this, Sam?" He asked. "Are you really giving into _him_ and not caring what it does to me?"

Sam pursed his lips and shook his head. Then, he narrowed his eyes and said. "You're doing this to yourself."

And then he stormed out. Finn and Kurt listened to his footsteps retreat down the hallway. They heard the front door slam. Neither of them moved.

"Are you happy?" Kurt asked Finn quietly.

"Are you…?" Finn snapped back. "Are you happy with Blaine or is this all just a game to you?"

"No one _asked_ you to get involved, Finn?" Kurt cried, hugging himself.

"Well, actually," Finn stood up and stepped past Kurt on his way out of the room. "You're wrong about that…"


	4. Chapter 4

Rachel's face has fallen. "This has never happened to me before." She exhaled heavily.

"What do you mean?" Sam said, looking at Mercedes, who was just rolling her eyes in disbelief.

"My gaydar is _never _off!" Rachel cried.

"Rachel, didn't you, like, make out with Blaine…?" Sam asked innocently.

"Yeah, shut up, Rachel," Mercedes laughed. "That guy pukes rainbows, and you were completely oblivious."

"At least _I _didn't smash up gay guy's windshield for allegedly leading me on!" Rachel snapped.

"You wanna go there, Berry?" Mercedes snapped angrily.

"Guys…!" Sam waved a hand in each of their faces to shut them off. The three of them were sitting around a table at _The Lima Bean_, their iced coffees in front of them. Sam didn't understand why this was becoming an argument.

"Kurt said she kissed him," Mercedes continued happily, pointing to the counter. "He said she kissed him right over there, and he said 'yeah…I'm gay.'" Mercedes started cackling at the thought.

Rachel shook her head. "It was a fluke, okay. The past is not important, what's important is that Sam's been keeping this a secret for so long and…I had no idea." She leaned toward him. "I mean, Sam…you dated Quinn…and Santana. Were they really just beards?"

"I never said I was gay, Rachel," Sam rolled his eyes. "I'm bisexual."

"And you really have feelings for Kurt?" Mercedes asked sweetly.

Sam took a deep breath and nodded. "You guys aren't mad at me?"

Mercedes smiled sweetly. "Why would we be mad at you?"

Sam shrugged. "I didn't want you guys to think I was a horrible person for wanting to break up Kurt and Blaine."

"Sam, you haven't done anything wrong yet," Rachel assured him, "You don't get to choose who you love."

"Does Kurt have any idea how you feel?" Mercedes asked. Sam shook his head, embarrassed.

Mercedes and Rachel gave each other a hesitant, but knowing look.

"Do you think if he did he'd still be with Blaine?" Rachel asked.

"Sam, Rachel and I have noticed how you two are around each other," Mercedes told him. "We've talked about it. It's hard for us to believe that these feelings are one-sided."

Sam sighed. "Yeah, it's hard for me to believe too…"

Rachel took a small sip of her coffee. "So what are you going to do?"

"Well, I told Kurt I was stepping back," Sam explained confidently. "He doesn't get the best of both worlds anymore. He needs to make a decision."

Rachel and Mercedes nodded understandingly.

"No matter what happens, we'll still love both you and Kurt," Mercedes told him.

"Yeah; we just want you guys to be happy," Rachel said. "Sure, we'll feel sympathy for Blaine, but he's not as important to us as you are."

Sam's big mouth crept into a smile. "Thanks guys, I really appreciate that."

* * *

><p>Kurt parked at the curb in front of Blaine's house, just sitting in front of the steering wheel, paralyzed with fear. He hadn't thought of anything to say yet, and was putting off texting Blaine to let him know he was there until he had figured it out.<p>

Of course, all it took was a look out his bedroom window for Blaine to see Kurt, and soon he was tapping on the passenger window.

"Damn it," Kurt mumbled, unlocking the door.

Blaine climbed in and Kurt didn't look at him.

"Is everything okay?" Blaine asked.

Kurt was silent.

"…You wanted to get coffee…right…?"

Kurt shook his head. "Maybe not,"

"Oh," Blaine was audibly confused. "We can go to Panera or something. That's okay…"

And then it just came out. "Blaine, I want you to be completely honest with me," Kurt heard himself saying. "All that stuff you said to me the other night; about trusting me and accepting the fact that I was going to passionately love my friends…was that just a load of crap?"

"What?" Blaine went into instant defense mode. He reached out to touch his boyfriend's shoulder, but Kurt recoiled. "Kurt…no…"

"I know you talked to Sam and Finn," Kurt told him. "I know you still think I need some sort of chaperone, but you're trying to be subtle so you don't hurt my pride."

Blaine was quiet for several minutes. Kurt wasn't surprised that he didn't know what to say. He didn't really have any defense. "Kurt…you have to understand how I feel…" He was trying to make Kurt feel bad for him. He didn't need to do that. Kurt already felt horrible.

"I guess this is my fault," He said softly. "I didn't think I'd have to choose between you, but I do."

Blaine grabbed his hand. "I'm so in love with you, Kurt. More than that, actually…you're kind of my whole world…."

Kurt pulled his hand away. "I choose my friends, Blaine!" He snapped meanly, not caring if it came out harsh. "I choose the people who make me feel like I have a little freedom!"

"Kurt, please," Blaine begged, tears coming to his eyes. "You don't understand…"

Kurt knew he owed Blaine a good last word; something to make him feel better. "I meant it when I said I would always love you. I'll always be a part of your life if you want me to be."

"Of course I want you to be…"

"But I can't be your boyfriend," Kurt said finally. "I don't want that responsibility anymore."

"And that's all it is to you…?" Blaine whimpered. "…a responsibility?"

Kurt struggled. He couldn't stand it anymore. A lump was forming in his throat, and tears blurred his vision. He couldn't even look at Blaine anymore, because he knew he did than he'd lose it for real. He finally forced himself to nod.

Luckily, Blaine decided he'd had enough and jumped out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Kurt sobbed as he watched his first love sprint up his own front lawn and retreat into his house.

* * *

><p>Kurt didn't want to do anything. He just wanted to lie in bed, in the dark. He knew he'd done the right thing. He knew he shouldn't be in a relationship that he was having doubts about, and in the long run this would make him feel better. It just kind of sucked because he didn't know where to go from there.<p>

He hugged one of his pillows to his chest and thought about what he'd just done. He thought about Sam. But…it wasn't about Sam, was it? He'd done this for himself.

His phone started to go off on his nightstand. He saw that it was Sam calling, and wasn't sure if he actually wanted to talk to him. He wasn't sure what to say to him, not that Sam would be expecting him to say anything in particular.

"Dude, do you know anything about gluten-free brownies?" Sam asked before Kurt could even say hello. "Do you know if they're any better for you than regular brownies?"

Kurt shook his head, and then realized Sam couldn't actually see him. "You should ask Puckerman. He knows a lot about flourless deserts."

"What…"

"It's a kosher thing…" Kurt explained tiredly.

"Oh…" Sam paused, and then asked, "Are you okay? You don't sound like yourself."

"I'm fine," Kurt lied, probably unconvincingly.

"You're not sick again, are you?"

"No…it's not that," And then Kurt realized he'd have to tell him eventually. He actually preferred not to do it in person. "I broke up with Blaine…"

There was another long pause. "Cool…" Sam said, and then quickly corrected himself. "I mean…not cool? I mean…are you okay?"

"I think I will be," Kurt said simply. "That relationship was more stress than it was worth."

"Yeah, that's what it seemed like," Sam agreed. It was kind of weird to hear Sam admit it too. "So…do you just want to be alone or do you want to watch a movie or something?"

Kurt had to think about it. He thought he'd gotten comfortable with the idea of lying, depressed, in the dark, but now, hearing Sam voice, he wasn't so sure. For the first time since his conversation with Blaine in the car, he realized how free he actually was. He kind of wanted to take advantage if that.

"No, you should come over…" Kurt told him. "We should definitely watch a movie."

* * *

><p>On some level, they both knew what was going to happen. They knew by the way neither of them said a word as Kurt let Sam into the house and led him up the stairs to his room. They knew when Kurt took his time closing the door. When the doorknob clicked, he turned around and locked eyes with Sam. He bit his lip, his eyes shinning. Sam was pressing his lips together, trying hard to smile.<p>

When Kurt had called him, he'd tried so hard to put the thought from his brain. In a sense, it seemed to him like everything was just sort of falling into place. He had his friends' blessing. Kurt was single. The day seemed like it was going too perfectly to not end with him and Kurt together. But he felt bad that it was the only thing he wanted. At first he told himself that it might not be what Kurt wanted; that it might not be what Kurt needed…But when they locked eyes, he knew he'd been wrong. He knew that it was 100% mutual.

When Kurt had told Sam to come over, he'd legitimately thought that they were just going to watch a movie. That's all he'd originally wanted to do with his freedom. But he'd waited so long, struggling with curiosities that he wouldn't even let himself admit that he had. Now, the temptation was as strong as ever, and there was nothing holding him back.

Sam sat down on the edge of the bed, and grinned at his knees. He didn't watch Kurt come toward him. He knew he wouldn't be able to contain himself if he did. Kurt lowered himself onto the bed next to him.

"Hi…" Kurt said softly; nervously.

Sam chuckled, lifting his head up and turning his head to face him. "Hi…"

It was kind of surreal, Kurt thought. It seemed fake, if only because it was so easy.

And then it happened.

Their faces were already so close that Kurt could practically taste Sam's sweet, tic-tac laced breath. He waited for Kurt to back away. He didn't want to force anything. He didn't want to start a fight that Kurt didn't ask for.

But it happened like gravity in slow motion. Sam did it without really intending to. At first neither of them moved. It was that second of disbelief and hesitancy. But then Kurt took charge. Sam's lips were soft and warm. It was like coming home to a comfortable couch at the end of a long day. Kurt felt his arm spring up and grab the back of Sam's head. He had a fistful of hair. His other hand slid up Sam's perfect abs and settled on his chest, where he could feel his heart racing. Sam wrapped his arms around Kurt's lower back, and fell back on the bed, pulling him with him.

Kurt could feel Sam smiling as they kissed, which made him smile too.

Sam pulled away briefly and said, "You have no idea how long I've wanted this…"

And then Kurt wanted to cry, because it meant so much to him to hear that. He ran his hands over Sam's biceps and tried to hold himself as close to the other boy as possible. He kissed him intensely; more intensely than he'd ever kissed anyone before. But it didn't seem like enough.

Sam slipped his hand up Kurt's shirt, and lightly grazed Kurt's ribs. He got that pleasant sensation, just short of being tickled, and shivered. He'd been hard for a while now, and could feel that Sam was too.

But something pulled him back to reality much too quickly. He suddenly rolled off the bed.

"I can't," His voice shook, as he started pacing beside the bed. He couldn't quite verbalize yet the sudden pang of horror that had hit him, but it was there.

Sam sat up. He was frustrated, but he wasn't going to be the guy who talked someone into doing something they didn't want to do. That just wasn't him. Then again, something didn't seem fair. He tried to push that notion from his mind. "It's okay…" He said blankly. "…I shouldn't have…I don't know…you're right…"

Kurt stopped pacing. "I'm really sorry, Sam," He said genuinely.

"It's fine," Sam said, even though he felt like he deserved a lot more than "sorry". He was really confused.

Kurt started speaking quickly, his voice even higher than usual. "It's just…too soon. I usually know what I'm thinking, but I don't want to rush into anything…and I care about you a lot…"

"Well, obviously, I care about you too," Sam said.

"And that's why we can't let you be a rebound," Kurt shrugged. "It could ruin everything."

Sam's heart dropped. A rebound…? "I'm not anything more than that?" He knew he was. He had to be.

"I'm so confused right now," Kurt shook. "I thought I wanted you, and now it looks like I have you, but it doesn't feel like I thought it would."

"Your right, it feels better," Sam insisted.

"No…" Kurt breathed. "Maybe I just wanted what I couldn't have…or maybe I built it up so much…"

Now Sam was sort of offended. He stood up. "I'm sorry to disappoint…"

"No!" Kurt moved toward him, trying to take him in his arms. "You don't get it. You are wonderful…It just doesn't feel real right now. I don't think anything's really sunk in yet."

Sam tried to understand, he really did, but he couldn't just stand there and claim that he didn't feel completely rejected; completely let down and disappointed. He frowned and said, "We can just watch a movie another time…"

And then he left Kurt alone in his room.


	5. Chapter 5

Kurt marched into the kitchen, and was instantly annoyed to see Finn at the table with a glass of milk and one of his Dad's car magazines.

"I heard…" Finn said without looking up from the pages.

"Heard what?" Kurt wandered around getting various ingredients for a sandwich.

"Um…I don't know…that you dumped Blaine."

"None of your business, Finn," Kurt said dismissively. He started putting the ingredients back. He didn't really feel hungry anymore.

"Blaine actually became my friend, do you realize that!"

"You can still be his friend, Finn…"

Finn took a long sip of milk, thinking. He asked, "What were you and Sam doing in your room earlier?"

"Finn," Kurt finally lost it, he marched over to Finn at the table and stood across from him. "You are, like, the biggest hypocrite in the world, do you realize that? Do you remember how you and Rachel got your start! You thought Quinn was carrying your baby and you were still going after her!"

"I was in a hard place," Finn tried. "I felt all this responsibility to Quinn, you know? But, you know Quinn; she's so bossy…and needy…"

"And you just think Blaine's so perfect, and that I'm completely in the wrong here!" Kurt asked.

"No…" Finn immediately realized what he'd been doing. He'd felt so badly for Blaine that he didn't consider the other side of the story. "I'm sorry, Kurt…you're right…maybe this wasn't cool of me…"

"Thank you!" That's all he needed to hear. He started to turn away, but curiosity got the best of him. "How did you do it, Finn?" He asked. "Not just the first time…but this year, before Nationals. How did you know that Rachel wasn't just, like, an excuse to break up with Quinn?"

Finn sipped from his glass again, thinking hard. He stared off into space, smiling slightly as he spoke. "It was when Mr. Shue was reading that speech for coach Sylvester at the funeral. I realized that I felt tethered to Rachel…I guess I just really loved her, and I knew that I needed to be with her."

Kurt was silent. He remembered he'd been thinking about Blaine when Mr. Shue made that speech. Then, he remembered how hard he tried to feel that tether. He'd told himself that his problem was that he was bad with metaphors; that he didn't have to feel the way someone else expected him to feel. Love had to feel different for everyone.

But suddenly, he wasn't so sure. His mind jumped around from moment to moment. He thought about how comfortable and content he was around Sam, how his goofy smile was the last thing he thought about before he fell asleep at night. He was always looking forward to when he and Sam could hang out again. He realized that for a while now, those visits had been the highlight of his life.

Suddenly, he understood. Suddenly, he felt the tether.

"I am such an idiot…" He said quietly. He began stepping away from Finn. "I have to go!"

And then he ran to his car.

* * *

><p>Sam's mother answered the door.<p>

"Oh, hi Kurt… Sam didn't tell me that you were coming over…"

"Is he here?" Kurt said quickly, his voice shaking. "Can I see him?"

"Yeah," She was a little taken aback. "What's the urgency…?"

"Kurt…" Sam appeared in the doorway. He glanced at his mother as he came out into the hall. "You can close the door, mom. It's okay."

Kurt and Sam stood in silence for a moment after Sam's mom was gone.

Finally, Kurt spat out, "I'm sorry,"

"It's fine, Kurt," Sam replied, although it was clearly not fine. "You're confused. It's not going to affect your friendship."

"I'm not confused," Kurt's head was shaking as he spoke. "Not anymore…"

Sam froze. "Oh…"

"When you think of tethers, what do you think of?" Kurt asked.

"Um…tetherball…?" Sam wasn't sure if it was a trick question or not.

"Do you remember that speech Mr. Shue and Coach Sylvester made at her sister's funeral, about what happens when you love somebody…"

Sam suddenly realized what he was talking about. "…she said you feel tethered to them."

"You're the best part of my life, Sam," Kurt felt tears coming to his eyes, but this time, he wasn't afraid to let them show. "I feel so connected to you, whether you're sitting next to me, or a hundred miles away. Maybe you don't believe in this sappy stuff, but it's just how I feel. And I'm realizing that the reason I wasn't feeling what I thought I'd be feeling when we kissed was because I didn't feel anything new. I'd been feeling that close to you for months…it was already so real. I expected this big change, but it was already there. I was already tethered to you." Sam was silent. "Damn it, if you don't say something, I'll…"

Sam took Kurt in his arms and kissed him hard in the mouth, then, he held Kurt's head in his hands and kissed every inch of his face.

"Okay," Kurt sobbed. "That's better than saying something."

"I've waited so long," Sam rested his chin on Kurt's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "To be able to tell you that I love you…"

"I know," Kurt told him. "I love you too…"

And he meant it.

And they continued to kiss in the Evan's hallway.


End file.
